William gardner



(No Model.)

W. GARDNER.

BABY CARRIAGE.

No. 447,606. Patented Mar. 3,1891.`

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zo' 7 M VILLIAM GARDNER, NEV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO .TOANNA GARDNER,OF

SAME PLAGE.

BABY-CARRIAG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of yLetters Patent No. 447,606, dated March3,1891.

Application led Noveinher17J 1890. Serial No. 371,755. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.'

l 1 3e it known that I, WILLIAM GARDNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baby-Carriages; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in baby-carriages; and it has forits object to provide a carriage which can be easily and cheaplymanufactured and which is constructed in such a manner that the dangerof tipping over is totally obviated.

.A further object of my invention is to provide means for turning thecarriage completely around without permitting its main wheels to scrapeon the ground A further object is to provide a foldable handle which canbe s o arranged as to form a support for a covering for the carriage,and finally to so construct and arrange the wheels of the carriage thata rocking motion may be given to the samewithout danger of tipping over.

Vith these ends in View my invention consists of a low body mounted on a'suitable frame, which is provided with longitudinal sides, and twocorresponding side `bars arranged within the frame under the body andclose to the longitudinal sides. Between each of these two pairs ofadjacent side bars are two wheels mounted on suitable axles journaled inthe sides and side bars in the the forward and rear parts thereof.Secured on the cross-piece at the rear of the carriage on the bottom ofthe body are two casterL wheels swiveled on vertical spindles andarranged at a suitable distance apart, and of such form and dimensionsas will allow them to remain free from contact with the iioor or groundunless the carriage is tilted backward, when the weight of the carriagewill be removed from the main carryingwheels and placed upon thecaster=wheels, and the carriage can be readily and easilyturned in anydirection. The two rear main wheels are so placed beneath the carriagethat when a child has been placed in the body the child is nearlybalanced over these wheels and the attendant can give a rocking motionto the carriage by bearing down on the handle,which causes the carriageto balance on the rear wheels and move downwardly until thecaster-wheels touch the ground. Pivoted on either side of the body ot'the carriage, near the rear thereof, is the handle, which projectsbehind the carriage, and its lower ends are-fastened se- 6o curely inplace when it is desired to push the carriage; or it may be folded overthe carriage and rest on the projecting edges of the side pieces whennot in use. Fastened to the forward part of the body is arope which may6 5 Fig. II is a rear elevation.

of my improved baby-carriage, which has the 8o sides 2 3 considerablywider at the rear ends than at the forward ends, the back etcorresponding substantially in width to the width of the sides, and thefront 5, which is low and narrow, to correspond with the forwardportions of the sides 2 3. It is especially desirable to make the bodyas described, as it is placed on a low frame; and it is obvious that therear wide ends of the sides 2 3 serve to prevent the occupant fromfalling 9o out, while the low forward end allows a very small child toclimb into the body and yet avoid tilting the carriage over. This body 1is mounted on a suitable carrying-frame,

which consists of two longitudinal sides 6 7, 95

extending from front to rear of the body, and a transverse piece-8,joining the forward ends of the side pieces 6 '7. These sides 6 7 oftheframe project slightly beyond the sides 2 3 of the body and serve as aresting-place for the ICO handle when it is folded over the body, aswill more `fully appear hereinafter. lVitliin this frame and beneath thebody 1 are two side rails or bars 9 10, adjacent. to the sides G 7 ofthe frame and suitably' secured thereto. etween these side rails or bars9 10 and the adjacent sides of the frame are provided the channels orspaces 1l 12, respectively, within each of which channels are arrangedthe cai'- io ryiiig-wheels lf3 8 1i l-l, which are mounted on suitableaxles 15, jouriialed iii bearings in the sides and side rails G 9 and 7l0 of the fraine, respectively. The carrying-wheels inay be made of anydesired forin of construction; but they should be quite sinall, so asnot to raise the carriage too high above the ground. The side rails orbars 9 l0 are not quite as long as the sides G 7 ot the fraine; but theyterminate at a cross-piece 17, sezo cured on the rear of the body of thecarriage, and the rear ends of said side rails tl 1() may be beveled, asshown in Fig. III. On this cross-piece 17 are fastened two caster-wheels18 19, which are supported onvertically-swiv- 2 5 elcd brackets 20, andwhich are of any desired construction; but said caster-wheels do notextend downwardly as far as the inain carrying-wheels 1ll-t, so thatthey are normally out of contact with the [loer or ground. If 3o it isdesired to turn the carriage around, the

attendant simply presses down on the handle, thus removing the weight ofthe carriage from the carrying-wheels and placing it on thecaster-wheels, and the carriage can then 3 5 be readily turned in anydirection. The rea-r carrying-wheels 1i 1i are placed suliicientlyforward to allow the carriage to be balanced thereon with very littlepressure on the handle; but the caster-wheels 18 10 prevent the 4ocarriage from tipping too far backward, so that when it is desired toturn the carriage the attendant exerts a little iiiore pressure ontlieliaiidle and transfers the entire weight of the carriage to thecaster-wheels, thus 0bviating-the disadvantage of having vthe mainwheels scrape the ground, as in the ordinary vehicles.

It is obvious that the carriage may be turned around when only the frontcarrying 5o wheels 13 18 are lifted from the ground and the weight ofthe carriage is placed on the rear carrying-wlieels 1t 11i and thecasterwheels 18 19. Then the carriage is being pulled by means of therope 31, the saine result is secured by siinply lifting the front wheelsfrein contact with the ground by means of the rope. By pressing slightlyon the handle the carriage may be tilted backward, and then removing thepressure on the 6o handle the carriage will resume its normal position,and it is obvious that if this is done rapidly a rocking iiietion willbe given to the carriage and its occupant, which is soin etiines verydesirable. Iivotally secured to rear portions of the sides 2 3 of thebody are two bars 21 22, which are joined together at the upper endsthereof by a handle 28. rlhesc bars 2l 22 in ay be fastened rigidly onthe carriage-body iii liositieii for pushing the carriage by means et 7oSuitable hooks 2st 25, arranged on the sides 2 8 of the' bodyslightlybelow and in frontof the pivots 2h 27, which, hooks engage witheyes 28 29 in the lower ends of the rods 2l 22, a iid hold the handlefirmly in the proper position for pushing. I

IVhen the carriage is notin use and it is desirable to have it occupy aslittle space as possible, the hooks 2t 25 are disengaged from the eyes28 2f) and the handle is folded over 8o the body and rests on theprojecting-edge of the side pieces G 7 of the frame. lhe rods areprevented from rubbing against the'bedy by washers en the pivots betweenthe sides 2 3 and the rods 21 22, and said rods are of 8 5 any desiredlength; but they aie preferably slightly longer than the body 1, so thatthey will readily fold over the body.

lf it is desired to protect the occupant from insects while asleep inthe carriage, I have 9o provided another hook 30 on one of the sides 6 7of the frame and slightly behind the pivots 26 27, which hoek is adaptedto engage with one of the eyes 28 in the rods 21 22 and hold the handlerigidly above the body, and a covering inay then be thrown over thehandle and the carriage withoutinterfering with the occupant.

The body 1 is provided with a suitable bot- 1 toiii,wliich inay becovered with carpet or any ico other material, as desired.

To the forward part of the carriage I attach a rope 3l, which inay beused to draw the carriage.

I ain aware that changes in the forni and proportion of parts anddetails of construction can be inade without departing from the spiritor sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reservethe right to make such changes as fairly fall within the iro scope of myinvention. D

, Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, isi 1. A low-down baby-carriage consistingof i i 5 the frame having the front and rear carryingwheels suitablyjournaled therein, the body secured directly to the traine, a handle,and the casteiwheels 18 10, supported directly on the frame and arrangedbetween and in rear 0f the rear carrying-wheels, said easter-wheelsbeing eleva-ted slightly above the carryingwheels and turning freely onvertical pivots, whereby the caster-'wheels serve as pivots or supportswhen the carriage is tilted and lifted off the carrying-wheels to enablethe carriage to be turned within a narrow space, substantially as shownand described,

2. A low-down baby-carriage consisting of a frame having the parallelinner and outer side bars, the carrying-wheels arranged between theinner and outer bars of the frame and having their axles journaledthereon, the body fixed directly to the frame, and the pair frame, andthe handle pivoted to the body and adapted to be folded over the same torest on the horizontal ledges at the sides of I5 the carriage,substantially as shown and described.` f

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM GARDNER.

Witnesses:

SAM. W. FREUND, JOHN H. RAPP.

